“Will a day come when the race will detect the funniness of these juvenilities and laugh at them--and by laughing at them destroy them? For your race, in its poverty, has unquestionably one really effective weapon--laughter. Power, Money, Persuasion, Supplication, Persecution--these can lift at a colossal humbug,--push it a little-- crowd it a little--weaken it a little, century by century: but only Laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of Laughter nothing can stand." (excerpt "The Chronicle of Young Satan," Mysterious Stranger Manuscripts).
... Samuel Clemens (1835-1910) [aka Mark Twain], American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer.
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